Saw a new parklet outside of State of Beer. We should have a meetup here soon… 
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May, after the pollen drop is over and while the late afternoon Sun isn’t yet brutal.
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Hey thanks for sharing some of my work!
As a former NYCDOT employee in the Public Space Unit, we did so much with very little at times. During COVID, we spearheaded outdoor dining, closing streets for cultural performances and now for extended public space. I was honored to work in the Plaza Program, and you would be surprised to see what can be done.
A lot of the public space program combines public and private partnerships. About 40% are managed by business improvement districts (BIDs), and there are quite a few that are purely volunteer-managed. One of the great resources is the OneNYC program that helped subsidize maintenance for community partners that did not have the capacity (budget/resources) to do so.
I’ll also say, as a proud Raleigh-born, Sanderson-educated human, I made sure to showcase what the Triangle and other NC cities did creatively with public space. Highlights included the BLACK LIVES MATTER paintings, guerrilla urbanism from NC State design students, City Plaza, Exchange Plaza, and the history and changing designs of Fayetteville Street.
Sometimes these changes don’t take concrete, but instead, a simple can of paint, some plants, and people to create new and improved public spaces.
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